The Philippine army says it has thwarted an attempt by soldiers to overthrow the president, Gloria Arroyo, and form a military government. Several commanders of elite units have been accused over the plot. Security was tightened this week amid rumours of a coup timed to coincide with the anniversary of a 1986 revolt against President Ferdinand Marcos. The army says the coup plotters had planned to speak out against Mrs Arroyo at an opposition rally on Friday. The police has withdrawn permits for all planned demonstrations and all schools in the country have been shut. Checkpoints have reportedly been erected around the capital, Manila, and soldiers have been sent to strengthen security around the presidential palace. Rumours of unrest are common in the Philippines, which has seen a dozen coup attempts in the last 20 years, says the BBC's Manila correspondent Sarah Toms. ... http://news.bbc.co.uk

Amnesty International today revealed how irresponsible military aid and arms supplies to Nepal from countries including the United States, India and the United Kingdom, have facilitated the killing, torture and abduction or "disappearance" of thousands of civilians. The organisation called on these governments and others -- including Belgium and South Africa which have recently supplied military assistance and France, which supplies crucial components for helicopters assembled and delivered by India -- not to resume military assistance or arms supplies destined for Nepal until the security forces can demonstrate that they will uphold human rights. A new report from the organization outlines the case for the suspension of all transfers of arms and related logistical and security supplies to Nepal that can be used to commit grave human rights violations. ...http://southasia.oneworld.net/article/view/113423/1/

More than 25 million Americans turned to the nation's largest network of food banks, soup kitchens and shelters for meals last year, up 9 percent from 2001.Those seeking food included 9 million children and nearly 3 million senior citizens, says a report from America's Second Harvest."The face of hunger doesn't have a particular color, and it doesn't come from a particular neighborhood," said Ertharin Cousin, executive vice president of the group. "They are your neighbors, they are working Americans, they are senior citizens who have worked their entire lives, and they are children."...http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/23/AR2006022300062_pf.html

In a crook of Clinch Valley in Lebanon, Va., there are no counterculture coffeehouses, no art museums, and the "ginger" salad dressing at the town's only Japanese restaurant is really Thousand Island. Despite its country couture, Lebanon (pop. 3,300), once betrothed to King Coal, is on the cutting edge of a new business trend. The farmshoring phenomenon, in which high-tech companies choose to open offices in rural America as opposed to India, China, or Mexico, is coming to this mid-Appalachian plateau. Late last year, two major IT firms, CGI-AMS and Northrop-Grumman, announced they were bringing more than 700 technology jobs to Lebanon that pay around $50,000 a year. These positions are in the same class as the 112,000 IT jobs nationwide that were lost to overseas outsourcing in 2003, according to Global Insight in Boston. ...http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/02/23/tech/main1340912.shtml

A teacher who castrated a live pig in front of her high school class is the target of protests by animal rights activists throughout the country.The protests began after People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals posted information about the incident at Rosamond High School on its Web site last month. The posting does not say when the castration occurred."We're concerned not only because animals suffer during these routine castrations but also because of the message it sends to students who are still forming opinions about treatment of animals in our society," said Stephanie Bell, a PETA cruelty case worker.Rod Van Norman, superintendent of the Southern Kern Unified School District school in the Mojave Desert about 70 miles north of Los Angeles, said animal castrations often occur in agriculture classes and are an important skill for students to learn."I don't know why they're picking on a little school district," he said....http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/02/22/ap/strange/mainD8FUDQ1OE.shtml

Japan has posted its first monthly trade deficit in five years, and its biggest in 23 years. The trade balance fell to a 348.9bn yen ($2.95bn; £1.7bn) deficit in January against surpluses of 911.9bn yen in December and 193.9bn yen a year before. Announcing the figures, the government said soaring oil prices and revived domestic spending had boosted imports. The Japanese deficit was the largest since January 1983 and only the third in two decades. But analysts and government officials said there were positives to be taken from the figures, as they show strong domestic demand. Data also showed that exports continue to rise. While imports expanded 27% to 5.36 trillion yen, exports in January also rose strongly, by 13.5% to 5.01 trillion yen. ...http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/4742582.stm